The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina - 2018 Ranking!

Also known as “The Palmetto State,” South Carolina has a hot climate and plenty of beaches making it a destination for those looking to escape the frosty weather up north.

Settled by the English in 1670, the colony named for King Charles I was split into North and South Carolina in 1710. The name "Carolina" comes from the Latin word "Carolinus," meaning "of Charles."

South Carolina has beautiful landscapes, with nearly 700 square miles of lakes, and an incredibly rich history where it hosted more battles than any other state during the American Revolution. It is the nation's leading peach producer and shipper east of the Mississippi River.

You can find the Magnolia Plantation, home to some of the most beautiful southern gardens in South Carolina. It’s the perfect place to look for hidden bridges, pick flowers, and explore the ponds and streams.

If you are considering moving to South Carolina or you already live there, make sure to continue reading to find out how safe South Carolina is compared to other states, and learn about its safest cities based on the most recent FBI crime report.

Ranking at #45 in terms of safety, South Carolina is the 40th state by size and the 23rd in terms of population, being home to around 4.961 million residents.

When it comes to safe and dangerous cities, the close-knit community in South Carolina, Bluffton, which previously ranked #5 in terms of safety managed to climb its way to the top and is now the safest city in the state with a 1669 crime rate per 100,000 people. Charleston, a major city in South Carolina, ranked #11 with a 2787 crime rate per 100,000 people, which is not common as larger cities tend to have higher crime rates.

Myrtle Beach, however, comes as the most dangerous city in the state, holding its spot as #1 compared to previous FBI reports. As for Columbia, the state capital, which previously ranked #22 danger-wise, is now ranked #18 among the list of the most dangerous cities in South Carolina.

Find out if your city is one of the safest in the state, then review our resources for crime prevention tips and home security information.


More Information About South Carolina

Capital: Columbia

Number of Counties: 46

Overall Population: 4.961 million inhabitants

Land Area: 32,020 square miles

Education Statistics: 26.5% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher, (percent of persons age 25 years+, 2011-2015)

Unemployment Rate: 4.0%

Crime Stats In South Carolina

Violent Crime Rate Per 100,000 Inhabitants: 501.8

Property Crime Rate Per 100,000 Inhabitants: 3,243.8

South Carolina’s Safety Rank: #45


Disclaimer:

In creating this ranking, we excluded all cities with population less than 5,000 residents as well as any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI.

Table 1: Top 20 Safest Cities In South Carolina

Rank City Population Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants
1 Bluffton
Previous rank: 5
17498 1669.0
2 Mount Pleasant
Previous rank: 4
84277 1851.0
3 Tega Cay
Previous rank: 1
10032 2004.0
4 Hanahan
Previous rank: 6
22357 2071.0
5 Fountain Inn
Previous rank: 7
8450 2071.0
6 Mauldin
Previous rank: 4
25540 2196.0
7 Clover
Previous rank: 13
5874 2349.0
8 Fort Mill
Previous rank: 2
14150 2388.0
9 Port Royal
Previous rank: 8
12417 2521.0
10 Goose Creek
Previous rank: 11
41540 2583.0
11 Charleston
Previous rank: 9
135153 2787.0
12 Greer
Previous rank: 10
28927 2869.0
13 Clemson
Previous rank: 14
15767 3102.0
14 Seneca
Previous rank: 12
8308 3153.0
15 Lexington
Previous rank: 15
20597 3326.0
16 Summerville
Previous rank: 17
50154 3912.0
17 Irmo
Previous rank: 16
12240 3921.0
18 Simpsonville
Previous rank: Not Ranked
21223 3939.0
19 Rock Hill
Previous rank: Not Ranked
72589 4121.0
20 Abbeville
Previous rank: Not Ranked
5177 4423.0

Table 2: Top 20 Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina

Rank City Population Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants
1 Myrtle Beach
Previous rank: 1
31864 15481.0
2 Dillon
Previous rank: 2
6648 12816.0
3 Hartsville
Previous rank: 3
7837 12390.0
4 Marion
Previous rank: 4
6674 9874.0
5 Darlington
Previous rank: 7
6130 9755.0
6 Walterboro
Previous rank: 10
5253 9670.0
7 Camden
Previous rank: 6
7132 9548.0
8 North Myrtle Beach
Previous rank: 5
15945 8454.0
9 Lake City
Previous rank: 8
6809 8327.0
10 Orangeburg
Previous rank: 17
13365 7932.0
11 Florence
Previous rank: 11
38382 7741.0
12 Cheraw
Previous rank: 9
5766 7701.0
13 Union
Previous rank: 21
7981 7042.0
14 Beaufort
Previous rank: 20
13477 6990.0
15 Aiken
Previous rank: 26
30800 6577.0
16 North Charleston
Previous rank: 24
110490 6527.0
17 Batesburg-Leesville
Previous rank: 14
5457 6487.0
18 Columbia
Previous rank: 22
134489 6313.0
19 Chester
Previous rank: 30
5462 6280.0
20 Easley
Previous rank: 16
20911 6197.0

Table 3: All Cities, Ranked By Population

City Population Total Crime Rate
Per 100,000 Inhabitants
Safety Rank
Charleston 135153 2787.0 11
Columbia 134489 6313.0 38
North Charleston 110490 6527.0 40
Mount Pleasant 84277 1851.0 2
Rock Hill 72589 4121.0 19
Greenville 65686 4905.0 28
Summerville 50154 3912.0 19
Goose Creek 41540 2583.0 10
Sumter 40864 4767.0 26
Florence 38382 7741.0 45
Myrtle Beach 31864 15481.0 55
Aiken 30800 6577.0 41
Greer 28927 2869.0 12
Mauldin 25540 2196.0 6
North Augusta 22755 4561.0 22
Hanahan 22357 2071.0 4
Conway 21874 5440.0 31
Simpsonville 21223 3939.0 18
Easley 20911 6197.0 36
Lexington 20597 3326.0 15
Bluffton 17498 1669.0 1
North Myrtle Beach 15945 8454.0 48
Clemson 15767 3102.0 13
Fort Mill 14150 2388.0 8
Cayce 13729 5907.0 34
Beaufort 13477 6990.0 42
Orangeburg 13365 7932.0 46
Gaffney 12568 5776.0 33
Port Royal 12417 2521.0 9
Irmo 12240 3921.0 17
Forest Acres 10654 5998.0 35
Newberry 10338 4866.0 27
Moncks Corner 10298 5633.0 32
Tega Cay 10032 2004.0 3
Georgetown 9044 4456.0 21
Clinton 8664 5240.0 29
Bennettsville 8514 4745.0 25
Fountain Inn 8450 2071.0 5
Seneca 8308 3153.0 14
York 8058 5362.0 30
Union 7981 7042.0 43
Hartsville 7837 12390.0 53
Camden 7132 9548.0 49
Lake City 6809 8327.0 47
Marion 6674 9874.0 52
Dillon 6648 12816.0 54
Darlington 6130 9755.0 51
Hardeeville 5893 4616.0 23
Clover 5874 2349.0 7
Cheraw 5766 7701.0 44
Chester 5462 6280.0 37
Batesburg-Leesville 5457 6487.0 39
Walterboro 5253 9670.0 50
Abbeville 5177 4423.0 20
Travelers Rest 5074 4690.0 24

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